Extrusion apparatus



Aug. 3, 1965 M. ORLANDO EXTRUSION APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 50, 1961 INVNTOR ATTORNEY MATTHEW ORLANDO BY I M MM mm of mm E a Q I: 1 .1 N mm m Q mm & 8 M 8 Nm 2. K mm 9 v? I- i 9v w on a 6N I N N H Aug. 3, 1965 M. ORLANDO EXTRUSION APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 50. 1961 INVENTOR MATTHEW ORLANDO BY 5M QM; Mm 0 ATTORNEYS 3, 1965 M. ORLANDO 3,198,221

EXTRUSION APPARATUS Filed Oct. 30, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTO MATTH EW OR LANDO WM, 521 w, MAZL, @m 7 TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,198,221 EXTRUSTQN APPARATUS Matthew @rlando, Stamford, Conan, assignor to Matthew @rlando, tamiord, ileum, and Leonard Schulb, Portchester, NSY.

Filed (let. fill, 1961, Ser. No. 14%154 4 Claims. (fill. Mil-"263) This invention relates to an extrusion apparatus, and while not specifically limited thereto, it will be described in connection with the delivery of a depolarizing mix to a dry cell can. This is a continuation-in-part of my now abandoned application, Serial No. 765,872, filed October 7, 195 8, and entitled Extrusion Method.

In filling dry cell cans with depolarizing mix where it is desired to produce cells of substantially uniform performance characteristics and of uniform quality, it is necessary to place a uniform quantity of mix in each cell and to compact the mix uniformly in the cans. It is also desirable to discharge most of the air from the can, and to dispose any retained air in such a manner that it will not create internal resistance in the cell.

In a presently preferred embodiment of my invention an extruder nozzle is provided that is of nearly the same external diameter as the internal diameter of the dry cell envelope or can. The nozzle is formed of a relatively thin-walled tube providing a bore or passage of substantially the same diameter as the internal diameter of the can. The can is advanced over the nozzle until the end of the nozzle reaches nearly to the bottom of the can. Means are provided for yieldingly supporting the can and, as the material is forced into the can under predetermined pressure, the can moves oli the nozzle until the spring or other supporting means is compressed to a point where further movement ceases. The mix is finally compacted, and the can support then retracts to withdraw the can from its position over the nozzle.

As a very small volume at the bottom of the can contains air when the feed of the mix is begun, this small quantity of air either escapes through the space between the nozzle and the can, or it is dispersed through the material, probably in large part trapped within the pores of the material, so that it does not form pockets of air of such size as to appreciably increase the internal resistance of the cell.

Apparatus for use in practicing the proces is illustrated, more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic, side elevation, parts being shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal, sectional view on line Z-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detailed, sectional view showing the can in position over the nozzle;

FIG. 4 is a similar View showing the can partially removed from the nozzle by the pressure of the mix fed to the can;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view showing the can and nozzle in an intermediate position; 1

FIG. 6 is a similar view showing the can in the operation of being removed from the nozzle;

FIG. 7 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, showing an arrangement of apparatus for practicing another form of the process;

FIG. 8 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, of the modification; and

FIG. 9 is a detailed view showing a cell in which the liner and bottom cap are integral.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a dry cell envelope or can 2, is mounted on a suitable support or carrier in alignment with a nozzle t to deliver depolarizer mix from a container 6 into the can. The cans may be ice placed in position and removed after filling by any suitable means as, for instance, by hand or by suitable feed mechanism having a step-by-step movement to retain the can in position the necessary time for performance of the filling operation. The can support or carrier, generally designated by the numeral 8, is provided with a portion til having an opening to receive the rod 12. Key 14% is received in registering grooves in portion 10 and the rod 12 to secure the support to the rod against circumferential movement and set screw 15 prevents relative axial movement of the two members. One end of the rod is slidably mounted in an opening in bracket 16, and the other end is connected to the plate 18 thus pro viding carriage means for the can support 8. The plate 18 has an elongated opening 2% which surrounds the drive shaft 22. It also supports a pair of rollers 24 which engage the cam 26 carried by the shaft. As shown, the can has two dwell portions 27 and two cam portions 28. Thus, in a cycle, the plate 18, rod 12 and parts associated with them move in one direction, remain in position for a period, are then reciprocated in the reverse direction, remain in the initial position for a period, and then begin a new cycle.

A second rod 3% is connected to the plate 18 and arranged above the rod 12 (see FIG. 1). This rod terminates rearwardly of the nozzle 4. It is connected to a plate 32 carrying a pair of rods 34 which extend on each side of the nozzle (see FIG. 2). The forward ends of rods 34- carry a stripper plate 36. This plate has an opening large enough to permit the nozzle to pass through it but too small to receive the can. It thus serves as a stripper to remove the can from the nozzle after filling a will be more fully described hereinafter.

The described apparatus may be employed to deliver any of the usual depolarizing mixes to dry cell cans. The mix may consist of manganese dioxide, conductive carbon, suitable electrolytic salts, such as zinc chloride and ammonium dichloride, and suficient water to form a pasty mix. Other compositions capable of coacting with the anode to form a cell may, of course, be employed, and as pointed out above, the equipment may be used in connection with the feed of any pasty, semi-solid material where it is desired to feed uniform amounts of the material to containers, and to compact the material uniformly in such containers.

As shown, a member 38 on the bottom of the container 6 i provided with a cavity 40. The material in container 6 passes into cavity 40 through an opening in the bottom of the container. The cavity, in turn, communicates with the interior or" the nozzle 4 through passage 41. A plunger 4-2 is mounted in a guide 44 in the container in alignment with cavity 4t The plunger 42 fits the bore of the cavity quite snugly and when it descends into the cavity timed to the feed of the can on to the end of the nozzle, it delivers material into the can. After the material delivered to the can by the plunger 42 fills the space between the bottom of the can and the end of the nozzle %,.with the parts in the position shown in FIG. 1, a definite pressure is reached which acts against a yielding support for the can.

As shown, the yielding support for the can consists of a plunger as mounted in a bore 48 in member 3 and a coil spring 5t which is arranged in the bore with one end of the spring in engagement with plunger 46 and the other end engaging a threaded plug 52. The end of the plunger 46 which protrudes outwardly from the bore 43 forming a back-up member to receive the closed base of the dry cell envelope. The spring may be adjusted to regulate the force exerted by it on the can through plunger 46. A threaded rod 553 extends through plug 52, as shown. When the pressure created by delivery of material to the can reaches the spring pressure, the can moves back on 3 the nozzle as further material is fed into the can (see FIG. 4). Rod 53 is adjusted to engage the end of the plunger 46 before the last of the mix is delivered into the can. The last of the mix, delivered to the can after its movement has been arrested, causes a final compacting of the material in the can to the desired pressure and at a definite height in the can.

In order to convey a fuller understanding of the extrusion machine according to my invention, a description of its operation is given below.

As shown in FIG. 1, a can has been placed on the support and the rollers 24 are about to move off the dwell portions 27 onto the cam portions 23 of the cam 26. This causes the plate 13 and rods 12 and to move toward the right in MG. 1. The can is thus moved to the position over the nozzle shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. It will be noted that the end or the nozzle is close to the bottom of the can. To get the desired uniformity of feed and uniform compactness through the medium of the plunger 42. and cavity it), it is necessary to employ a nozzle only slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the can. While the fit is not absolutely air-tight, the air that is in the can has difiiculty in escaping from it when the delivery of mix into the can takes place.

elivery of a paste or semi-solid material in predetermined amounts into a container through a nozzle fitting closely into the container has not given satisfactory results in some instances when the nozzle was spaced at an appreciable distance from the bottom of the container. A relatively large amount of air is then trapped in the container and only a small part of it is able to escape around the nozzle. Where the device being produced is a dry cell, this has proved objectionable as the amounts of air trapped may cause high internal resistance and thus reduce the enrciency of the cell. By inserting the nozzle to a point very close to the bottom of the can before any of the mix is delivered into the can (see FIG. 3), the amount of air in the can is so small that it either escapes around the nozzle or is dispersed to such an extent, probably with the pores or interstices of the material,

that, it does not affect theinternal resistance of the cell.

in FIG. of the drawings 1 have indicated how the mix delivered to the can as the can backs or? the nozzle tends to flow toward each side compacting the material between the end of the nozzle and the bottom of the can evenly over the entire area.

The filling step takes place while the rollers 24 are on the dwells of the cam opposite to the position shown in P16. 1. As the rollers again engage cam portions 28, the rods 12 and ill are moved toward the left. The cell, in backing off the nozzle, has moved away from the plate with which it was in contact (see FIG. 3). The plate 36 is first moved into contact with the end of the cell and, as the movement continues, it backs the cell entirely off the nozzle. The operation is shown in progress in FIG. 6. The rollers 2d again travel over the dwell portions of the can during which time, while there is no relative movement of the nozzle and can, the filled can is removed and replaced by another.

in FIGS. 7 and 8 l have shown apparatus for use in practicing another version of the process. In the form of the invention heretofore described, the resistance to the flow of material back into the container around the plunger' lZ is such that a limited iiow can take place if the final compacting in the cell is reached before the plunger 42 reaches the end of its stroke. This produces highly satisfactory results with smaller sized cells. With larger cells I find that better results are obtained when a plunger M21 is employed with a cavity 14% in which the plunger forms such a tight fit that no mix can escape past it back into the container 6. In this form of the invention a stop 53 is eliminated and I have hown an adjustment nut 15?. supporting a spring i554 which engages the plunger 46. The amount of material forced into the can by the plunger 142 is premetercd. The tension of the spring 154 is set to obtain the desired compacting of the mix in the can. A higher pressure is generally employed when this form of the invention i practiced and as the material is delivered into the can it is compacted to the desired pressure throughout the filling operation.

FlG. 9 the liner and cup washer are integral. other views, a separate liner L and cup washer W are used. The liner is first inserted in the can, and the cup washer placed in the top of the can. As the nozzle enters the can, it moves tie cup washer to its position at the bottom, and the washer, in moving downwardly in the can, causes the liner to spread and engage the cell wall. The washer is forced to the bottom of the can by the mix as the mix is fed into the can. In the cell of PEG. 9, liner L, bottom washer W are formed integral and are forced into position in contact with the bottom and side wall of the can by the material fed into the can.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features, without departing from the teachings of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. A machine for packing a dry cell envelope having a closed base and an open filling end with a charge of depolarizing mix comprising an extrusion nozzle of a size to be received within said open filling end of said enelope, a carrier mounted for reciprocating movement parallel to the axis of said nozzle and toward and away from said nozzle, an envelope back-up member mounted for movement on said carrier coaxially with said nozzle and sized to receive the closed base of the dry cell envelope, a spring operatively engaged between said carrier and said back-up member permitting relative movement therebetween and biasing said back-up member toward said nozzle, carrier actuating means operatively connected to said carrier for reciprocating said carrier through a forward stroke toward said nozzle into a filling position with said filling end of said envelope engaged over said nozzle and through a rearward stroke away from said nozzle into an envelope loading position, an extruder in communication with said nozzle arranged to introduce a charge of depolarizing mix during a filling interval through said nozzle and into said envelope, the pressure built up in said envelope upon the introduction of said depolarizing mix thereinto causing said envelope to back oil from said nozzle and causing a corresponding movement of said back-up member relative to said carrier with As shown in the said spring being elastically deformed, and a back-up member stop adjustably positioned in said carrier for defining maximum movement of said back-up member and an envelope positioned thereon away from said nozzle for holding said envelope stationary during the final portion of the filling interval for compacting said mix, said carrier actuating means moving said carrier through said rearward stroke after said filling interval to remove said en velope from said nozzle.

2. A machine for packing a dry cell envelope having a closed base and an open filling end with a charge of depolarizingmix comprising an extrusion nozzle of a size to be received within said open filling end of said envelope, a carrier mounted for reciprocating movement parallel to the axis of said nozzle and toward and away from said nozzle, an envelope back-up member mounted for movement on said carrier coaxially with said nozzle and sized to receive the closed base of the envelope, a spring operatively engaged bet-ween'said carrier and said back-up member permitting relative movement the-rebetween and biasing said back-up member toward said nozzle, carrier actuating means operatively connected to said carrier for reciprocating said carrier through a forward stroke toward said nozzle into a filling position with said filling end of said envelope engaged over said nozzle and through a rearward stroke away from said nozzle shows the process applied to a cell in which a into an envelope loading position, an extruder in communication with said nozzle arranged to introduce a charge of depolarizing mix during a filling interval through said nozzle and into said envelope, the pressure built up in said envelope upon the introduction of said depolarizing mix thereinto causing said envelope to back 01f from said nozzle and causing a corresponding movement of said back-up member relative to said carrier with said spring being elastically deformed, and an envelope stripper mounted for movement parallel to the axis of said nozzle for engagement with the open end of said envelope, stripper actuating means for moving said stripper rearwardly at the completion of .a filling interval for stripping a filled envelope from said nozzle, said carrier actuating means moving said carrier through said rearward stroke after said filling interval to carry said envelope away from said nozzle.

3. A machine for packing a dry cell envelope having a closed base and an open filling end with a charge of depolarizing mix comprising an extrusion nozzle of a size to be received within said open filling end of said envelope, a carrier mounted for reciprocating movement parallel to the axis of said nozzle and toward and away from said nozzle, an envelope back-up member mounted for movement on said carrier coaxially with the axis of said nozzle and sized to receive the closed base of the envelope, a spring operatively engaged between said carrier and said back-up member permitting relative movement therebetween and biasing said back-up member toward said nozzle, carrier actuating means operatively 1 connected to said carrier for reciprocating said carrier through a forward stroke toward said nozzle into a filling position with said filling end of said envelope engaged,

over said nozzle and through a rearward stroke away from said nozzle into an envelope loading position, an extruder in communication with said nozzle arranged to introduce a charge of depolarizing mix during a filling interval through said nozzle and into said envelope, the pressure built up in said envelope upon the introduction of said depolarizing mix thereinto causing said envelope to back oif from said nozzle and causisng a corresponding movement of said back-up member relative to said carrier with said spring being elastically deformed, an envelope stripper mounted for movement parallel to the axis of said nozzle for engagement with the open end of said envelope, stripper actuating means for moving said stripper rearward-1y at the completion of a filling interval for stripping a filled envelope from said nozzle, a back-up member stop adjustably positioned in said carrier for defining maximum movement of said back-up member and an envelope positioned thereon away from said nozzle for holding said envelope stationary during the final portion of the filling interval for compacting said mix, and sequencing means for actuating said carrier, said extruder and said stripper in timed relation to move an envelope over said nozzle, to extrude depolarizing mix thereinto to a predetermined pressure, to strip said envelope from said nozzle and to back off said envelope away from said nozzle.

4. A machine for packing a dry cell envelope having a closed base and an open filling end with a charge of depolarizing mix comprising an extrusion nozzle of a size to be received within said open filling end of said envelope, a carrier mounted for reciprocating movement parallel to the axis of said nozzle and toward and away from said nozzle, an envelope back-up member mounted for movement on said carrier coaxially with the axis of said nozzle and sized to receive the closed base of the envelope, a spring operatively engaged between said carrier and said back-up member permitting relative movement therebetween and biasing said back-up member toward said nozzle, carrier actuating means operatively connected to said carrier for reciprocating said carrier through a forward stroke toward said nozzle into a filling position with said filling end of said envelope engaged over said nozzle and through a rearward stroke away from said nozzle into an envelope loading position, an extruder in communication with said nozzle arranged to introduce a charge of depolarizing mix during a filling interval through said nozzle and into said envelope, the pressure built up in said envelope upon the introduction of said depolarizing mix thereinto causing said envelope to back off from said nozzle and causing a corresponding movement of said back-up member relative to said carrier with said spring being elastically deformed, an envelope stripper mounted for movement parallel to the axis of said nozzle for engagement With the open end of said envelope, stripper actuating means for moving said stripper rearwardly at the completion of a filling interval for stripping a filled envelope from said nozzle, said extruder including metering means for controlling the amount of depolarizing mix extruded through said nozzle during the filling interval, said spring having adjustable mounting means in said carrier for selectively varying the pressure to which said mix is compacted in the envelope, and sequencing means for actuating said carrier, said extruder and said stripper in timed relation to move an envelope over said nozzle, to extrude depolarizing mix thereinto to a predetermined pressure, to strip said envelope from said nozzle and to back olf said envelope away from said nozzle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,719,806 7/29 Jeffrey et al. 141-284 2,096,301 10/37 Johnson 141--269 2,1018 17 1 2/37 Johnson 1411 16 2,136,224 11/ 38 Weinreich 141-255 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH N. LEIMER, Examiner. 

1. A MACHINE FOR PACKING A DRY CELL ENVELOPE HAVING A CLOSED BASE AND AN OPEN FILLING END WITH A CHARGE OF DEPOLARIZING MIX COMPRISING AN EXTRUSION NOZZLE OF A SIZE TO BE RECEIVED WITHIN SAID OPEN FILLING END OF SAID ENVELOPE, A CARRIER MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID NOZZLE AND TOWRD AND AWAY FROM SAID NOZZLE, AN ENVELOPE BACK-UP MEMBER MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT ON SAID CARRIER COAXIALLY WITH SAID NOZZLE AND SIZED TO RECEIVE THE CLOSED BASE OF THE DRY CELL ENVELOPE, A SPRING OPERATIVELY ENGAGED BETWEEN SAID CARRIER AND SAID BACK-UP MEMBER PERMITTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN AND BIASING SAID BACK-UP MEMBER TOWARD SAID NOZZLE, CARRIER ACTUATING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID CARRIER FOR RECIPROCATING SAID CARRIER THROUGH A FORWARD STROKE TOWARD SAID NOZZLE INTO A FILLING POSITION WITH SAID FILLING END OF SAID ENVELOPE ENGAGED OVER SAID NOZZLE AND THROUGH A REARWARD STROKE AWAY FROM SAID NOZZLE INTO AN ENVELOPE LOADING POSITION, AN EXTRUDER IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID NOZZLE ARRANGED TO INTRODUCE A CHARGE OF DEPOLARIZING MIX DURING A FILING INTERVAL THROUGH SAID NOZZLE AND INTO SAID ENVELOPE, THE PRESSURE BUILT UP IN SAID ENVELOPE UPON THE INTRODUCTION OF SAID DEPOLARIZING MIX THEREINTO CAUSING SAID ENVELOPE TO BACK OFF FROM NOZZLE AND CAUSING A CORRESPONDING MOVEMENT OF SAID BACK-UP MEMBER RELATIVE TO SAID CARRIER WITH SAID SPRING BEING ELASTICALLY DEFORMED, AND A BACK-UP MEMBER STOP ADJUSTABLY POSITIONED IN SAID CARRIER FOR DEFINING MAXIMUM MOVEMENT OF SAID BACK-UP MEMBER AND AN ENVELOPE POSITIONED THEREON AWAY FROM SAID NOZZLE FOR HOLDING SAID ENVELOPE STATIONARY DURING THE FINAL PORTION OF THE FILLING INTERVALE FOR COMPACTING SAID MIX, SAID CARRIER ACTUATING MEANS MOVING SAID CARRIER THROUGH SAID REARWARD STROKE AFTER SAID FILLING INTERVAL TO REMOVE SAID ENVELOPE FROM SAID NOZZLE. 